Broken Memories

[Limegreen Queen]

I can't either!! It sounds good! Hopefully, the next chapter will talk about the thing or whatever in Aja's room. It will right, Akane??

[Akane]

Well, yes and no. It's not really about Aja's room, but the next chapter is pretty good.

[Limegreen Queen]

Well it better come soon then

[Akane]

Change the story line again, but only a little bit, so this chapter isn't as good as it would have been. I don't want to reveal the whole story in one chapter, now, do I?

Chapter 2

I didn't notice I was staring. I didn't mean to, either. Not until Aja , almost demanded, "What are you looking at?!"

I blinked and tried to look away, but my eyes were magnetically drawn toward her. Instead of the same black hair and large blue eyes she had received from her mother, her long, thick hair was now cut quite thin, and arrived barely above the shoulders. Not only that, but it was dyed very light, almost white.

She had too much make-up on, and I could see she had ripped her clothing to make it smaller. This wasn't Aja.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming at her. If that's what she wanted, that's what she got. Plus I couldn't just barge in and tell her what to do, so I ignored it.

Her sneer slowly disappeared and she quietly whispered, "Amie...?" I could even see salty tears forming behind her hating eyes.

I started to fidget again. I don't know why I was feeling uncomfortable. "Uh, well... yeah."

She started to tremble, but only barely, like when one cries and she wouldn't look at me straight in the eyes, but down at the floor.

She regained her composure quickly, and forcefully, but I could see she was happy. I could always tell. Aja had a weird way of letting those she trusted her exact emotions at the time, as if she had opened up a door for only them.

We went down the stairs together, and before you knew it, we were joking and laughing all the way down to the kitchen, like old times. And I didn't even have to pretend I was having a good time.

Even though it was somewhat childish, we both drank grape juice with bendy straws. Strange as it may sound, it brought back old memories, and I don't know how many people can bond over grape juice. But me and Aja are weird that way.

She spat some juice at me through her straw. I laughed, and sprayed her a little bit too. Aja ducked, and a tall, young man took the hit as he had entered the kitchen.

He wiped it off, brown eyes crinkled in confusion. I felt my cheeks burning crimson, so Aja spat some at him. I guess you could say we were even.

"You're it, Cliff!" She shouted, laughing. He didn't react, as if he was the mature one.

"Aja..." he whined, still trying to get the grape juice off his face with his sleeve. "Where's Duke- er, your dad?"

"In the cellar." She sounded depressed that he didn't join in, and as he left, she mumbled, "Hobo."

I started to laugh uncontrollably, and soon Aja caught the giggles too. We started helping each other stand up, but we both ended up on the floor laughing.

"Who is that guy, anyways?" I asked, curious.

"Besides a hobo?" She raised her eyebrow. "He does the odd jobs." I started to laugh again. I didn't have anything against hobos, as far as they go, so I really don't know why I found it funny.

Probably because it was Aja who said it.

[harvestmoona]

cool

[Herfefiny]

Awwww! How sweet! ;D
That was a great chapter Akane! I can't wait until the next update! XD

[Akane]

Thank you! ^___^

[Akane]

Chapter 3

After Aja and I had cleaned up the kitchen (luckily, Manna hadn't noticed when she came in to grab her purse), we stood in silence and watched the rain fall. There was a loud thunder, and I jumped and accidentally knocked over a small vase with a white flower in it.

Aja picked up the vase and wiped up the water, I had offered to help, but she said it was okay.

"I guess I should get going soon..." I trailed off.

Aja gave me a stern look. "No one likes to spend a thunder storm all alone, far away from everyone else. You're not going anywhere." She sounded like my mother. Or, at least, how a mother was supposed to sound.

I didn't need words to show my gratitude, it seemed, because Aja added, "Don't mention it."

Minutes later, Manna rushed in, moments before Duke, still trying to hold an umbrella in one hand, and three shopping bags in the other. I rushed over to her and grabbed the shopping bags and set them on the kitchen counter.

"Well, well!" Duke exclaimed, in his usual fake accent. I suppose he wanted it to go with his formal look he always had: a white, cuffed shirt, black dress pants and shoes to match, a dark purple sweater vest, with his gray hair slicked back. "Amie, you're back! So glad to see you, yet so sorry for your loss." He sounded like a wannabe poet. He pulled out a pipe, and offered it around the room to all three women. They all cringed and backed a way, but not enough for Duke to notice. "More for me, then!" As if he didn't have enough tobacco and alcohol. We all exchanged looks and forced smiles.

Manna set on making dinner, and we had to talk loudly over the thunderstorm.

"What brings you here, Amie?" Duke asked, still trying to even out the amount of spaghetti and tobacco. I calculated: two puffs on the pipe for one bite of spaghetti.

I frowned and swirled the noodles around my fork. "Didn't you say you were so sorry for my loss?"

Duke looked confused, as if I had just told him I was from Mars. "I didn't actually expect you had a loss."

I groaned inwardly. "My grandpa died, so I've inherited the farm."

"Oh! That loss... You know, I'm sorry about that one, too." I don't think Duke understood well.

Manna changed the subject, seeing how this was going down a strange path. I wondered why Aja wasn't talking much, it usually took a long time to stop her, but now she looked spaced out. I touched her arm, and she jolted upright.

"You okay?" I whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. No big deal, you just surprised me."

~*~*

Aja stood in front of me, holding up my two choices. "Scary or chick flick?" She asked.

"Um... Scary." I decided, and she popped the film into the VCR.

"I'll grab the popcorn, don't start it without me."

Movie night at Aja's was a tradition, and I admit, I had forgotten about it. I hadn't told Aja though, she would have been mad.

We didn't really watch the movie, but we exchanged news from the past six years. I had told Aja the story of the kid who got locked in the janitor's closet, and she laughed so hard she knocked over the empty popcorn bowl. She leaned over to pick it up and looked at the TV screen, unexpectedly, at the gory hand reaching through the broken window. She screamed, and kernels flew everywhere. There was a clash of lightning and the power went out.

~*~*

Longer chapter!




Chapter 4

Manna came in, bare feet silent on the wooden floor. She held a candle in one hand, and was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes in the other.

"Aja, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, sorry, mom." Aja explained quietly.

"Well, it's late. You two should get to bed."

After settling down and Manna had left, I heard Aja say, "Amie?"

"Hmm?" I responded, the blankets muffling my voice.

"I'm glad you're back."

~*~*

"Amie! Amie, wake up!" I turned over and looked at the digital clock.

"No, Aja! It's 5:30. I've slept for what... two hours?" Aja grabbed the blanket off of me and dragged me out of bed.

"That doesn't matter. Come on."

Reluctantly, I followed Aja up the stairs but instead of turning left where the rooms were, we turned right. She led me to a door on top of the cellar, and we climbed a small ladder to the roof of the house.

I was still half asleep, until Aja shook me and pointed. I yawned and looked up sleepily. We saw a sliver of the sun rising above the sea, and two rainbows higher up.

We were fixated by the beauty I even forgot I was sleepy, until it all crawled out of me.

"Wow..." Aja whispered. Hours flew by and Aja finally helped me up, jumping down to the roof of the cellar. I followed, and she held the house door open for me.

We went downstairs and we could here Manna humming quietly to herself. We stepped through the door and Aja poured us each a glass of orange juice while Manna set down the buffet in front of us.

"Thanks, Manna!" I said happily. I had distant memories from this place, but I did remember one thing: Manna made the best pancakes.

After breakfast, Aja quietly explained she had something she really needed to tell me. We walked down to the docks, making non-important conversation as friends do.

"Amie..." She started dangling her feet in the water. I could see her face on reflecting on the water but she wouldn't look at me.

"What did you want to tell me?" I asked, rather curious.

"I- I'm leaving Amie."

~*~*

Okay, so this chapter wasn't very long, a little bit of bonding, but the true story is revealed!

[Herfefiny]

Oh no! Shes leaving!!!!! How sad. But, of course, those chapters weer awesome! I luved 'em!! ;D

[Akane]

Thank you, Herfefiny.

[melody]

Very nice Akane.
I love the story so far, and I hope you write more soon!

[Akane]

Sorry, can't until next week, which is why there was two today.

[melody]

Ah, ok. I see.

Well, more next week, then! ;D